One Piece: Oda Explains Why Elderly Characters Like Garp And Sengoku Are So Strong

This article contains spoilers for the One Piece manga

A common theme in many action-packed anime (shonen) is the powerful, wise old mentor. But *One Piece* takes this idea further – instead of just one such character, the series features a surprising number of strong, older pirates and marines. Despite their age, these characters are still incredibly dangerous, thanks to a combination of their Devil Fruit powers, physical strength, and refined Haki skills.

Eiichiro Oda, the creator of *One Piece*, recently explained his reasoning for making the older characters so incredibly strong. He believes it was a good choice, and fans agree – these characters have become very popular! Oda revealed what inspired him to write these powerful, long-lived individuals, finally answering a question many *One Piece* fans have had.

Some Of One Piece’s Strongest Characters Are Elderly

Fans Can Never Judge A Book By It’s Cover

One Piece characters don’t seem to slow down with age
Some of the strongest characters are nearing retirement

You might think a pirate who’s spent decades at sea would slow down when they get older. But while some choose to retire and live peacefully, many pirates actually become *more* powerful with age. There are plenty of stories that prove this is true.

Characters like Big Mom and Kaido, who were once part of the Rocks crew, later became powerful pirate Emperors after the crew’s defeat at God Valley. Kaido, especially, became incredibly strong, eventually requiring Luffy to unlock the hidden power of the Sun God Nika just to injure him, even though Luffy was much younger. However, this increase in strength isn’t limited to pirates; many Marines have also grown more powerful over time and remain dedicated to their cause, regardless of age.

“I survived again…old Whitebeard did it right” – Kaido

During the Marineford War, Sengoku proved that age isn’t a barrier to strength, easily defeating large groups of pirates using his Devil Fruit powers. Akainu and Kizaru similarly showed immense power, eliminating numerous enemies despite their age. This demonstrates that Eiichiro Oda, the author, isn’t afraid to make his older characters incredibly powerful – even more so than younger ones – and he’s recently explained the reason behind this approach.

Oda Wanted To Show How Cool Elderly People Truly Are

The Author Didn’t Want Them To Fade Into Obscurity

The author notes that many elderly people he knows are admirable, but acknowledges the natural decline that comes with age. He wanted to honor older generations in his work by portraying elderly characters as incredibly powerful. Considering the immense strength of characters like Garp and Kaido, he believes older fans will appreciate how he’s depicted age in his series.

Eiichiro Oda’s creative choices become clearer when you consider how much he draws inspiration from real people, many of whom are now elderly. It’s widely known that Oda based numerous *One Piece* characters on actors and celebrities who were famous during his youth. For instance, the character Kizaru is heavily inspired by Kunie Tanaka, a popular Japanese actor from the 80s and 90s who recently passed away. Similarly, Aokiji’s design and personality were largely based on Yusaku Matsuda, another highly influential Japanese actor from that era, resulting in a strikingly similar character.

It’s clear Oda wanted to share the impact these historical figures had on him as a child with a new generation of readers, many of whom may not be familiar with them. While it’s interesting to understand why Oda made these characters such powerful fighters, it naturally leads to the question of who among them is the strongest.

Which Elderly Character Is The Strongest?

Marines, Pirates, The World Government, Every Faction Has Its Army Of Old Warriors

Garp is an absolute powerhouse, even though he’s far past his prime
Kaido was considered unbeatable for much of his life
The Five Elders possess demonic powers that make them a significant threat

The series *One Piece* features many powerful characters, and interestingly, some of the strongest are also the oldest, with Monkey D. Garp being a prime example. While the author hasn’t shown a lot of Garp fighting, what we *have* seen demonstrates he remains incredibly strong even in old age. Many fans believe he’s not just the strongest character in the Marines, but potentially the strongest character in the entire story.

Sengoku stated that the destructive spree, which devastated everything it touched, was ultimately stopped by Marine Vice Admiral Garp.

Garp demonstrated his incredible strength when he rescued Koby from Pirate Island. He unleashed a single “Galaxy Impact” punch that sent shockwaves across the entire island, knocking back anyone nearby without even making direct contact. Known for playing a key role in defeating the Rocks Pirates, the author has established Garp as a formidable force in his younger days. Even now, he remains a powerful marine, readily confronting anyone who opposes him or his goals.

Kaido was a legendary powerhouse who dominated pirates before Luffy finally beat him with Gear 5. More recently, the Five Elders have demonstrated incredible strength on Egghead Island, causing widespread destruction with their frightening transformations, seemingly without concern for anyone who gets hurt. Garp, Kaido, and the Elders are among the strongest older characters in *One Piece*, but Imu should also be recognized as a powerful figure, despite much of their ability remaining a secret.

2025-09-21 15:34